EVER so often, we read or hear about television and/or radio mediums from around the globe that are designed to bring us rich, clean and healthy coverage and entertainment news; and ever so often, those mediums fail to achieve their intended purposes. However, there is one such medium that continues to appease the communication whims and fulfill the entertainment desires of its adoring fan base. It is the National Television Network (NTN), located at Brickdam and John Streets, opposite the Guyana Headquarters of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Georgetown.

This entity goes the extra mile to ensure that programmes are well censored and in accord with the satisfaction of its customers. Thus NTN continues to shine as a vibrant telecommunications medium as it treads the road to eventual maximum development.

One would want to know who possesses the driving force behind the operations of this dynamic entity, hence we proudly declare the popular Anand Persaud, CEO of NTN, as the man behind the controls of this rapidly evolving and expanding Media enterprise.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN
This business has a rich history of family intervention and co-operation, which has brought it to its present stage of evolution.

A very vibrant and flourishing entrepreneur named Ganga Prasad opened the doors of the Deluxe Cinema in Diamond, East Bank Demerara, on the date when our country gained independence from the British, May 26, 1966. Television then seemed almost impossible.
The enterprising Ganga Prasad, along with his three sons — Jagdip, Cecil and Khaimchand – extended the business to Georgetown with acquisition of the Strand Deluxe and Plaza cinemas. His next kingmaker move was to become the distributor of Warner Bros Pictures/Orion Pictures, Columbia Pictures and Flambuoyant Films. Thus Ganga Prasad & Sons Limited became a foundation pillar in the movie entertainment business.

A relative of the Prasads, the late Jack Persaud, deemed ‘the great showman’ of the clan, and Mrs. Chandra Narine (sister of Anand) took control of the film distribution aspect of the business, and were assigned duties as area managers.

From Burbank, California to Georgetown, Guyana, they both took ultimate pride in advertising, releasing and distributing movies throughout Guyana. Movies such as ‘Django’, ‘Johnny Yuma’, ‘Enter the Dragon’, ‘Death Wish’, ‘Magnum Force’, the James Bond masterpiece ‘From Russia with Love’, and many others were all listed as great releases at ‘Strand, the Cinema in Command’.

Meanwhile, ‘Chalte Chalte’ and ‘Kasauti’ were creating quite a commotion amongst patrons at the Plaza.
The Persauds continued to work together in the field of entertainment, where Chandra, Anand and Brahma saw no limit to their affiliation with the light shows out of India. Then, in the 1980s, the Strand Deluxe Cinema was modernised with new seating and a crisp surround sound system. However, piracy of movies through video and later DVD brought about a downfall in the industry, causing many cinemas worldwide to close shop; and almost all cinemas in Guyana followed suit.

By 1997, approximately 46,000 Guyanese possessed televisions and used video recorders, and Anand once again saw the opportunity to entertain Guyana.
Thanks to the Guyana Government, in October 1997, National Television Network Channel 18/Cable 69 was launched. And striving to bring the best in entertainment, NTN was the first television station to  broadcast  live, the Guyana Annual Diwali Motorcade, which commenced at the LBI Community Centre ground on November, 07, 1999.

NTN promotes multi-religious and multi-ethnic culture, and also embraces oriental values with open and non-discriminatory policies. NTN also specialises in all types of programmes, ranging from Bollywood to religious to sports.

‘SA-GE-GA-MA’, one of NTN’s original programmes, was found in 2007. Thereafter, NTN signed an ongoing deal with Sportsmax Jamaica, Jamaica’s sports cable company, to broadcast cricket, soccer, boxing, the Olympics, and such other sports. NTN has been deemed the well known ‘cricket channel’ in Guyana, airing IPL series, West Indies, Australia,  India and Pakistan encounters.

NTN Radio (89.1 FM)

In February 2013, another event unfolded under the astute management of Anand  Persaud, and that was the impressive launch of the NTN Radio 89.1 FM, which again made the Persauds very proud to have done it again in the field of entertainment, thus upholding the same values and maintaining the traditions and promoting the various events as they unfolded. This very riveting radio offers a rich portfolio of programmes for the listening pleasure, ranging from radio talk, music, news, religious issues, sports, health, beauty care and other topics to keep the Guyanese community well informed.

The entertainment package (television and radio) is very remarkable, and brings viewers and listeners the beauty of the sky, colours of the flowers, freshness of the breeze, and generosity of the sun, all wrapped in an exciting fusion designed ultimately for their satisfaction.
The radio launch was hosted in a semi-formal and well-attended ceremony which occurred on Brickdam in Georgetown. The radio station, 89.1 FM, has been broadcasting since the latter part of 2012, prior to its official launching in February.

Addressing the media at this event, His Excellency President Donald Ramotar said the media has a very important role to play in bringing together any nation, and especially the part it plays when a country is considered, or has the characteristics of a multi-cultural society.

President Ramotar had described the launching as a significant one, while expressing his confidence that the management of the station would bring clean entertainment to the nation.
The President also described the proprietor Mr. Anand Persaud as one of the pioneers of television with a strong local content in Guyana.

While admitting that Anand himself is a great entertainer in his choice of music, the President also promised to supply the radio station with some of ‘his choice of music’, since it addresses the choice of those from his period.

JOURNEY NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES

In an interview on the journey from cinema to radio, Mr Anand Persaud, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Television Network, and now 89.1 FM, said the journey was not without its challenges.
He said the move to open a radio station was part and parcel of a long and dedicated process which had started a long time ago, and added that since his return to Guyana in the 1980s, he has been involved in communication and media, starting with the continuation of a legacy left by his grand-parents and older generation.

That legacy was the management of a cinema. Persaud added that back then he was forced to decide if he would end his academic studies to keep the legacy alive. He added that his first hard decision was  made when he decided to modernise the cinema to grapple with the transformation from cinema to television.

The cinema was modernised in 1992, and reopened by the late President Dr. Cheddi Jagan. By 1998, the National Television Network was born, and in 2013, NTN radio 89.1 FM came alive.

At the launch of the radio station, an appreciation ceremony was incorporated wherein long-serving employees were rewarded for their commitment and dedication to their jobs.

Just recently also, NTN became the sole authorised distributors for ZEE TV here in Guyana.
The ZEE TV programmes, popular in hundreds of Guyanese households, will now be extended through a partnership with National Television Network (NTN), which makes the latter sole authorised distributor of the shows. This deal, according to Anand, will deliver more wholesome family entertainment locally.

He said the one-year renewable agreement between ZEE TV USA and NTN Guyana was signed last October, after talks about proliferating the shows in other countries.
ZEE TV already has a presence in 168 countries, including some in the Caribbean, with an estimated viewership of 25 million outside of India.

Prior to the launch of the increasingly popular new radio wave (89.1), NTN had advertised for radio broadcasters and, in a short space of time, received some thirty-nine entries which had to be shortlisted to three. And from this experience, Anand is calling for a forum for radio broadcasting to be introduced at the University of Guyana, to ensure excellent broadcasting, since there are so many radio stations mushrooming around the country.

Added to that, NTN has also inked an exclusive deal for Guyana with the Weeradio online (87.7 FM) in New York. This allows for NTN to be able to ‘stream the radio’ on Saturdays and Sundays, allowing US-based Guyanese to interact with family and friends here in Guyana, and vice versa. Anand also noted that NTN continues to bring to the Guyanese populace the best in South Asian entertainment.
Those that comprise the NTN team are broadcasters Reaz Hussein, Frederick Rampersaud (television), Wanita Huburn (radio and television), Mark Peire, Arya Chandrabhan, and Julia Achalram (General Manager), Somal Mangra (Chief Engineer) and Joel Ghansham (Programme Manager).

This group does not include the administrative, maintenance, and office personnel.